In My Time of Dying
by Zammie4eva
Summary: featuring Asuma's death, a distraught Shikamaru and some wise words from Naruto. NOT a yaoi. may be a little OOCness.


**In My Time of Dying**

**Featuring Asuma's death, a distraught Shikamaru, and a few wise words from Naruto. NOT a yaoi. **

The moon was full, shining down on the Village Hidden in the Leaves, illuminating the ground in a blue glow. In their beds the citizens of Konoha slept peacefully, knowing that the ninja of the village were on patrol once again, protecting the borders. The night was silent and in the distance, an owl hooted. Crickets chirped and frogs called, echoing in the valley and filling the night air. There was but a slight breeze, but it was bitter cold. The Hokage was passed out drunk, slumped over her papers, snoring loudly. Her assistant was asleep on the couch, dreaming of a world with no paperwork.

Tonton slept too, at the feet of Tsunade, giving small pig snores. All the ninja teams who weren't on missions were sleeping off hard training, and ninja dogs slept soundly in their kennels. No one but the sentries were up and outside, all except one. The graveyard was silent, not even the breeze reached the spot where one ninja stood alone, holding a lighter in his hand, and looking down at a headstone.

The headstone read: In loving memory of Asuma Sarutobi, great teacher, beloved husband, and father. The ninja who stood by the gravestone was as silent as the graveyard itself, he didn't move, safe the opening and closing of the lighter in his hand, that had belonged to his teacher. It had been almost a year since Asuma's death, and things in the village had quieted down, giving him more and more time to himself, and when he was by himself he thought. And he couldn't stop thinking about his dead teacher.

When Asuma died, he had cried harder than both Ino and Choji, but he had to remain strong for his team-mates, to keep the squad together as a functioning group, he had to be strong for Kurenai and her unborn child, he was to be that child's master when it was born, he was to be Asuma in his teacher's place. The grief and the lose had finally caught up with him, had finally hit him. He had pushed back the grief before so he could remain strong for his friends, but now it was all bubbling back to the surface, and he felt as though he would suffocate.

He was thinking of taking up smoking like Asuma, but was reluctant to do so in fear of what his team-mate Ino would screech at him about how it was a bad habit. Of course he knew it was a bad habit, but he had to change something to honour his teacher's memory, and since he had inherited the lighter, and his teacher's Will of Fire, why not take up smoking? It would show that Asuma was remembered by the student who did nothing but complain.

"I thought I'd find you here," said a low voice behind him. "Shikamaru."

The ninja did not move, he only blinked. "Naruto. Did you need something?"

"Yeah. I could never talk with you during the day we've been so busy, and I knew this was where you'd come. Ino and Choji sent me, they're worried about you," the ninja behind him replied.

"Worried for what? I'm fine," Shikamaru seemed genuinely surprised at why his team-mates would be concerned, but Naruto wasn't fooled.

"Come on Shikamaru, I know how hard it is to lose someone you love and respect, especially if you feel you did them no justice in life, but you've got to move on," he said.

Shikamaru was silent.

"You've come here every night since Asuma-sensei's death, you're not eating, you barely sleep, you finish missions so fiercely and move on to the next one without an ounce of rest. This has got to stop,"

"I appreciate the concern, Naruto, but this has nothing to do with you, my affairs are my own affairs, and I'll deal with it the way I see fit." Shikamaru said.

"So you'll slowly face from existence? Do you really think that would be what Asuma-sensei wanted? For you to succumb to grief? Your friends are willing to help you, you must let them." Naruto replied.

"Don't talk about Asuma like you knew him." Shikamaru said icily.

It took Naruto several seconds to realise the lazy genesis was crying.

"Shikamaru…"

"Asuma wanted me to take his place, to protect the king – the women and children of the village, but that doesn't mean I have to feel nothing, that I have to move on so quickly, I can have time to mourn if I want,"

"Of course you can, but this is taking it a little far. You've got Ino and Choji and Kurenai-sensei to share your grief, you've got all of us who feel the grief at Asuma-sensei's death, you don't have to bare this alone,"

Shikamaru turned to Naruto for the first time. The tears were flowing silently, freely, down his face, and yet his face was calm. He flipped the lighter open and closed.

"Asuma was more like a father to me than my actual father ever has been. He encouraged me, he taught me, he pushed me, he was always there for me, how can you understand what it's like to lose that?" he snapped.

Naruto looked down. "Because I've gone through exactly the same thing," he said darkly.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Jiraiya-sensei was the only family I've ever known. I lost him and, like you, I did catch up to the people who killed him, but I've moved on from that, and I've grown stronger because of it. You remember," he said.

Shikamaru looked down, suddenly ashamed of his outburst. He did remember when Jiraiya had died, and Naruto had been shattered to pieces.

He would spend days crying and staring out into space, but then he got mad, madder than Shikamaru had ever seen him.

Naruto fought those Peins into a standstill, he fought like a demon, and when Hinata got hurt, he _became _the demon, literally.

So Naruto _did _know exactly what it was like, and as he said, he had gotten stronger because of it, it was weakness to dwell in sadness, but not to feel it.

The strength came from overcoming it, not refusing to feel it at all.

That lesson Naruto had taught many others, like Sai, Gaara, Neji.

Now it seemed it was Shikamaru's turn to learn something from Naruto.

"…" Shikamaru looked up.

Naruto smiled. Shikamaru slowly smiled back. He flipped the lighter shut with a snap.

"You're right. After all, Asuma's still here, inside me, inside all of us, the dead never really leave, they merely get harder to see. I've inherited his Will of Fire, so I will overcome this, and become stronger from it." He said.

"Exactly. And when that baby's born, you'll take Asuma-sensei's place, and the kid will be Shikamaru." Naruto grinned.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. I've still got a lot to learn," he looked back down at the grave. "And I won't be alone," he added.

Naruto looked satisfied with his handiwork, and he and Shikamaru headed back to the village.

"Naruto…thank you. There have been times when I've doubted you but, you always pull through in the end. Asuma believed in you, and so do I." Shikamaru said.

"Aw don't thank me, just looking out for a friend it's what I do. I'll see you around Shikamaru, remember the good times," Naruto said waving goodbye as he walked away.

Shikamaru raised a hand in farewell too, and as the blonde went out of sight, he smiled to himself.

_It looks like I have my work but out for me, if I'm going to catch up to him. When did he get so wise?_

And he walked into his house, setting the lighter on his nightstand next to the photo of Team 10, and lay down to sleep.

He dreamed that Asuma and he were playing Shogi. It was a good dream.

_Maybe I'll challenge Choji to a game of Shogi. I haven't played Shogi since Asuma died. And I'll buy him barbeque afterwards, _Shikamaru thought.

And so the Will of Fire of Asuma Sarutobi was passed down to another generation, and it was well placed indeed.

He would never be forgotten, for he lived on in the hearts of his comrades.

For that is the Will of Fire.

**Owari mashita!**

**A/N**

**I swear Kurenai-sensei is pregnant for like, five years or something, whatever it is it's way beyond nine months.**


End file.
